The Simple Things
by Phr Lt Nkkd
Summary: Sometimes, it takes something drastic for someone to appreciate the simple things. EllisxNick


The simple things in life were the ones least appreciated; a simple smoke here, maybe a gentle hug there. Sometimes it took something a little too drastic to remember the feelings of taking the last slice of pizza or maybe the last beer in the box while watching football. Then, as things begin to deteriorate, it becomes the next breath, the next blink and the next step.

Sometimes it took something a little too drastic to remember what it was like to trust somebody. Not having to watch your own back all the time was a nice feeling; the simple act of just relaxing for those 2.5 seconds of your next deep breath.

As Nick lurched forward, damn near on his hands and knees, he was grateful for the three watching his back. The last few feet to the safe room were agonizingly far away. One more step, then another, one step at a time, almost there…

"Spitter!" was the almost simultaneous cry from two of the three behind him. This was it, it was over, he thought. He could hear the things screech behind him. That acid patch would be here any second. Shots were fired.

"Get a move on, boy!" Coach shouted. Rochelle stepped a few feet in front of Nick as Coach verbally tried to encourage him behind those steel bars.

"I've lost her! Come on, let's go!"

Nick felt a tight grip around his waist and he was half dragged and half carried those final few feet. "I gotcha, I gotcha, easy now…" the gambler heard the metal bars clang shut behind him and something heavy being thrown against it. The strong hands that held him fast set him gently against the far wall. "Shit, man. We gotta patch you up. You go down again like that, you ain't getting' back up."

"They left some med-kits—here," Rochelle announced as she searched the room. She tossed Ellis the giant red bag and he immediately went to work like one who had done this a million times. A mixture of pain relievers and bandages helped alleviate most of the pain. Nick could walk without assistance.

"Hoo-whee! I reckon' we make a right damn good team!" Ellis exclaimed once the noises outside died down. The rest of the survivors allowed themselves a brief minute of relief. "This reminds me of the time me an' my buddy Keith were runnin' from the police 'cause—"

"Ellis, sweetie, is this really the time?" Rochelle asked from across the room. She was exhausted and a Keith story didn't exactly seem like a pick-me-up at the moment.

"Okay." The mechanic responded, throwing his hands up in surrender. He glanced down at Nick, who had taken a seat on the chair still remaining behind the counter. "Reckon' we stay here for the night?"

Coach took a look around. The safe room that had been set up here wasn't CEDAs. It was in far too much disarray and had supplies that the government probably wouldn't approve of. He grabbed an unmarked bottle from a box. Beneath that, a half empty carton of smokes and some matches were revealed. "I reckon' you're right, Ellis," he swished the bottle around teasingly in front of his teammates. "Besides, Nick needs some time to rest, don'cha, Nick?" From his position on the floor, the man in the white suit was eyeballing the bottle something fierce.

"Yeah, I need a real good night's sleep." Rochelle burst out laughing at the way he elongated some of his words.

"You boys go easy, now. I'm going to see if they left any food…"

Easy-going laughter was heard out of the safe room that night. Coach loosened up and talked about his days as a linebacker in college. "Man, you should have seen his face when I come up on him! Damn near shit his pants…" even Nick was loosening up just a little. He talked about the time he and his escort, a little too tipsy to finish their card game had managed to elude the casino, only to get caught later doing it in a back alley.

Ellis looked out of the door with a small smile on his face. He was on watch that night, so he had only a half-empty bottle of beer beside him, now room temperature. The moon glittered ominously over the landscape. The dark silhouette of the trees gave an almost calming vision. Just on the other side, they would be alright. They'd have to catch a break somewhere. The Savannah native licked his thumb and absent-mindedly cleaned the barrel of his M-16. The murky waters just outside cast eerie reflections whenever something moved underneath and every now and again Ellis would shine his flashlight around quickly.

"You alright, Elle'?" Nick asked, slurring his words a bit. The older man had wandered over after Rochelle passed out and Coach decided to call it a night. He had a goofy, lopsided grin on his face. Ellis didn't like to be called 'Elle,' and the reaction may have been worth watching.

Tonight, however, the happy-go-lucky mechanic could only sigh. "Yanno, we've been spit at, humped, torn apart, pummeled, licked and basically fucked in the ass, and yet here we are. Yeah, man, I think I'm 'kay." He was still looking out between the bars. "You?"

Nick wasn't sure how he felt. He was exhausted, to be sure, but he was almost having fun. He was a gamblin' man and the whole Zombie Apocalypse thing was just another big gamble. He wasn't too keen on his life being the ante, but that was the hand he was dealt. What's a man to do but get what he can, right? Although…the whole bloody and gooey mess had brought him together with people whom he could call friends. Nick could sleep at night knowing that nothing would happen. If he fell down, there was someone there to pick him up, whether or not he wanted it. Then there was this man. This man who would keep him going every single day with just a grin. Whooping and hollering about how much he wanted to ride a roller coaster, even while shooting his way through a horde of zombies. The optimism that Ellis had, his outlook on the whole situation made Nick jealous. He wanted to survive the ordeal just to say he knew they would all along, to say that his careful pessimism was just to keep Ellis going, to keep them all going. He admired that. Wanted that. Craved that. Nick scooted closer to Ellis.

"Feel like I got chewed up and shit out, but, yeah, I'm good," he tipped his bottle towards the other man. He was still in pain, but the alcohol helped. "You just gonna stare out there all night?"

"I was jus' lookin'. We been runnin' so long from all them zombies, I jus' realized that I never took a good look around me. It's right beautiful, it is." He giggled for a minute. "This reminds me of the one time, me an' Keith—"

"Must it always be you and Keith?" Nick interrupted.

Ellis finally turned and looked at Nick, perplexed. His full lips were set off in a little pout. "Wadaya mean, 'always me an' Keith?' I ain't never really hung around anyone else. No one seemed to get me the way he did…"

"How about you tell me a story about you and me?"

Again, the mechanic's forehead contorted in confusion. "'Bout you and me, Nick? Well, shit, man. You were there. I don't need to tell ya." He let out a small, uncomfortable laugh.

"Maybe I just want to hear how you'll talk about me later…" Nick was going to blame everything on the alcohol in the morning. He moved in closer, even as Ellis shifted away. "Maybe I just want to hear you say my name…" the bottle got tipped over.

"Hold on a sec there, Nick. I ain't like that! I talk about Keith a lot, sure, but hey…"

The man in the white suit had him pressed up against the door, with only a few inches of safety between them.

"How long has it been since you've been with someone? A warm body, right next to yours. Someone to hold you tightly, say everything would be alright? A hug, a handshake, a…kiss…" Nick's slurred words trailed off as he slowly moved closer and softly touched his lips to Ellis'. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that he had nowhere to go, but Nick noticed that the other man wasn't trying to move. "How long has it been since you felt secure enough to just let go and enjoy…" he murmured, hoping to coax the other into relaxing.

Nick's words caused something inside of Ellis to ache. He was right. How long had it been since he had gotten a hug, or even someone to run their hands through his hair in reassurance?

Tentatively, Ellis locked eyes with the gambler. His left hand slowly came up and brushed a stray piece of his jet black hair away from his dirty porcelain face. Their lips were still touching. Gently, the Georgian ran his fingernails over the others' scalp, carefully pulling apart any resisting tangles. He could have sworn a sigh brushed over his lips.

"Too long." Was the reply, and he pulled Nick to him, crushing them together as one hand found the back of his neck and the other clutched the white material of the Armani suit. Nick moved a little so that he was sitting in Ellis' lap even as he was snaking his arms around the man's waist. "Too long…"

It was the simple things in life taken for granted; a tender kiss, the soft caresses of a lover, knowing that there would be someone there in the morning to watch your back and do it all over again.

Yeah, the simple things in life.


End file.
